These elegant glass-fronted custom laundry cabinets provide plenty of much-needed storage.
The project
I made these cupboards using 16mm melamine sheets for the carcasses, Tasmanian Oak for the doors and Broadline glass.
I had to router the sawn edges of the melamine to tidy up the chipping.
Carcasses built. I made them in two parts for ease of lifting and installation.
The doors were made from Tassie Oak, 42mm x 19mm DAR.
I routered the sides to match the doors on the existing laundry cupboards.
Sample of Broadline glass for the cupboard doors.
Making and gluing the timber panels for the sides and bottom of the cupboards.
Installing the Hafele hinges.
I drilled too many shelving holes. Lesson learned – only drill what you need.
I made the doors about 12mm longer than the cupboard so I don't need any handles. It also looks neater.
Installing the cupboards. Note the homemade overhead cupboard jacks. They were just right for the job at hand.
Carcasses installed.
Now I just needed to install the bottom panel and two side panels.
To make the stiles and rails for the joins in the doors I used a router table, two router cutters and jigs that I made with the help of ideas from YouTube. I know that you can use a table saw to make the stiles and rails but I have never tried it. My saw is not that good.
I started learning to use these type of power tools in the last couple of years. I say have a go. If it fails you can always make another one. There's nothing more pleasing than when you get to see the final product.
This is my D.I.Y. router table with a Makita variable-speed hand router mounted under the router plate.
Router bits for stiles and rails.
Jig to cut stiles on router table.
Another style jig for cutting stiles. I find this one much easier to set up and use.
I decided against gluing the top rail of each door in case I need to replace the glass if it was broken. The glass fitted in nicely in the 6mm grooves on the doors.
As you can see in this photo I used small brass screws to hold the rails in place. If this doesn't work I will have to glue them in place.
I coated the cupboards in Bondall Monocel Clear Wood Varnish, Satin. It’s water-based. Good product, reasonably priced too.
Before and after
More inspiration for your laundry
Experienced Bunnings Workshop contributor Adam_W has put together this handy guide to planning a laundry renovation.
You can also check out our Top 10 most popular laundry renovation projects and Top 10 most popular storage projects.
Let us know if you need a hand with your laundry project. We're here to help.
